Cable theft disrupts coal exports

2009-06-05 08:10

Johannesburg - Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), the rail arm of South Africa's logistics firm Transnet , had to cancel a large number of trains carrying export coal due to theft of copper cables, it said on Thursday.

The company did not say how many trains had to be cancelled.

TFR has been criticised for failing to transport all the coal destined for export in one of the world's major coal producers, but has invested in upgrading its infrastructure.

The rail firm said the theft of cables was hindering exports in the Ermelo/Ogies region in the northern Mpumalanga province.

To replace stolen cables and repair locomotives and wagons that could suffer by the disruption could cost the company "millions of rands", it said without giving a specific amount.